hide

hide · verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic*huzdą
2. Proto-Germanic*huzdijaną
3. Proto-West Germanic*huʀdijan
4. Old Englishhȳdan
5. Middle Englishhiden
6. English todayhide

From Middle English hiden, huden, from Old English hȳdan (“to hide, conceal, preserve”), from Proto-West Germanic *huʀdijan (“to conceal”), from Proto-Germanic *huzdijaną (“to hoard”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewdʰ- (“to cover, wrap, encase”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover”). The verb was originally weak. In the King James Version of the Bible (1611), both hid and hidden are used for the past participle. Cognates Cognate with Dutch huiden, Low German (ver)hüden, (ver)hüen (“to hide, cover, conceal”), Welsh cuddio (“to hide”), Latin custōs, Ancient Greek κεύθω (keúthō, “to conceal”), Sanskrit कुहरम् (kuharam, “cave”). Related to hut and sky.

hide · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Germanic*hūdiz
2. Proto-West Germanic*hūdi
3. Old Englishhȳd
4. Middle Englishhyde
5. English todayhide

From Middle English hyde, from Old English hȳd, from Proto-West Germanic *hūdi, from Proto-Germanic *hūdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *kéw(H)tis (“skin, hide”) (compare Latin cutis (“skin, rind, hide”)), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kew(H)- (“to cover”), ultimately the same root as the above etymology. More at sky. Cognates See also West Frisian hûd, Dutch huid, German Haut, Danish hud, Welsh cwd (“scrotum”), Latin cutis (“skin”), Lithuanian kutys (“purse, money-belt”), Ancient Greek κύτος (kútos, “hollow vessel”), σκῦτος (skûtos, “cover, hide”).

hide · noun³

1. Old Englishhīd
2. Middle Englishhide
3. English todayhide

From Middle English hide, from Old English hīd, hȳd, hīġed, hīġid (“a measure of land”), for earlier *hīwid (“the amount of land needed to support one family”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic *hīwaz, *hīwō (“relative, fellow-lodger, family”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“to lie with, store, be familiar”). Related to Old English hīwisc (“hide of land, household”), Old English hīwan (“members of a family, household”). More at hewe, hind.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 9th c. A unit of land and tax assessment of varying size, originally as intended to support one household with dependents.